DETROIT — Detroit Lions player Terrion Arnold was charged Thursday in Florida with leading a plot to detain and pistol-whip three people whom he believed had stolen from him, crimes that could carry a sentence of up to life in prison.
Two people also charged in the case have pleaded guilty and agreed to help Tampa-area authorities prosecute Arnold, court records show.
“Fame doesn’t get you out of criminal charges or our pursuit of justice and holding criminals accountable,” Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.
Three men in their late teens were held at gunpoint, battered, pistol-whipped and robbed in a Tampa apartment on Feb. 4, police said, three days after personal property worth more than $250,000 was reported stolen from Arnold and others at an Airbnb rental in Largo, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) west of the city.
It turned out, however, that the victims had nothing to do with the theft, investigators said.
Arnold, 23, was the “primary conspirator” in the attack, police said.
“He’s absolutely denying these allegations,” defense attorney R. Timothy Jansen said in Hillsborough County court.
Arnold briefly appeared in court by video as a judge announced charges of kidnapping, armed robbery and conspiracy. He surrendered to authorities Wednesday and will remain in jail at least until a detention hearing Monday.
